Homemade Blade

Take more time!

For me it's minimum one day for a blade!

Epoxy likes it warm to get hard!

Benny


Benny

holy snaps too this is my official 200th post. with a average of 14 post per DAY!! WOOOHOOOO YIPPY HORAYY

ahh thanks for the tip. My attempt #2 blade has 9 more hours of curing time. ahaha many people are interested I see? XD. I will only go to attempt #5 max if it fails. I allready spent a total of 60$.

Hey if u have the chance try to make a hollow blade and see how it plays. Who knows what will happen...

Make it all wood with like 2 plies each side and than just take your core and hollow it out so there is like 2-3 CM left around the edges and than glue it up. Hopefully it will hold through the press :P.

Just and idea :P

flatulenzio wrote: Take more time! For me it's minimum one day for a blade! Epoxy likes it warm to get hard! Benny Benny

I agree, just a little bit less pressure, to ensure all of the glue does not squeeze out, and more time to give it time to harden and ry up while still under a lot of pressure.

I'm building blades as well. If you understand any German, there's a large forum (tt-news.de) that can provide you with lots of information about diy blades. Like flatulenzio (probably) I'm also part of this forum.

I specialized basically on two models:

1) Abachi-Carbon: Abachi (Ayous) core, a carbon alternatively carbon/kevlar layer and Limba, Abachi or Koto outer layer:

This is glued together with epoxy. You have to be careful to totally coat the fiber. This is the critical step. If you use too less epoxy the blade will be too soft that means the carbon fiber is "wasted".
It can be useful to warm the epoxy so that it will be fluid. But be careful, this will reduce the pot life.
After letting it dry in the press for at least 24 h (use backing paper!!!) you could apply heat to the laminate (still in the press!) to further harden the epoxy. You have to consult the epoxy manual for the right temperatures and time.
If you want to stop the epoxy leaking through the topveneer, you have to close the pores. I'm using lacquer at the inner side of the topveneer.




2) The Classic: Abachi core and Limba middle- and outer ply.

This is glued together with bone/hide glue like in the old days. Hide glue gives the blades a special feeling. Compare the interview with Borko in this forum on this topic.





What you always have to keep in mind is the weight! That's why all blades are made of light weight cores like Abachi, Balsa, Kiri or Poplar. 

All the best

Liquid Sky

When applying the epoxy, I cut open a plastic trash bag and place it on a flat surface.  The carbon fiber is placed on one half and the core or outer ply is placed on the other.  The plastic bag will keep the fibers intact and make it easier to tranfer.  I'd used the hard foam roller from Home Depot (white, about 1inch thick, 4 inch wide) to evenly saturate the fabric and thin out the excess epoxy.  The excess is rolled on the wood.  Only a small amount is required.  Finally, flip the BAG (fabric half) onto the wood and carefully pill the plastic off.  You might have to use the roller to press the fabric onto the wood and to remove any bubbles.  Continue with the next layer.  Vacuum pump will remove the air pockets and displace them with the epoxy.  DO NOT HEAT THE EPOXY because it will cure VERY quickly.  This will cause you to rush and swear and of course make a bigger mess.